The year is 1878, and Sally Lockhart has started her own financial consulting business. When a client loses a fortune in the unexpected collapse of a British shipping firm, Sally is determined to find out why. But as she comes closer to learning the identity of the firm's elusive owner, she discovers that her questions are far from simple --and that the answers could cost her her life.

"Fraud, fire, and bloody murder pursue Sally Lockhart in a fine sequel to The Ruby in the Smoke. Sally, now 22, is in business as a financial consultant. When she and her friends challenge corrupt financial interests, they find themselves in a web of intrigue that stretches from fetid slums of the poor to the corporate offices of the richest man in Europe. Sally's detective work reveals the connections between corrupt power and broken lives. The action is fast, scenes are tight and dramatic, the language is vivid, and the wealth of minor characters are sharply individualized. An immensely entertaining thriller."--(starred) Booklist. Reading level: 6.7.

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Quotes & Awards

The action is fast, individual scenes are tight and dramatic, the language is vivid and rhythmic, and the wealth of minor characters are sharply individualized....An immensely entertaining thriller.Booklist (starred review)

Listener Opinions

Chris | 2/16/2014

" It's been a long time since I could say I "devoured" a book as I did this one. I put everything else aside last night to read it and didn't stop until I'd finished it after midnight. While I enjoyed the first book in this series, The Ruby in the Smoke, this book more than overshadows it. Pullman has created a wonderful cast of characters in Sally and her friends. Sally is 22 now and running her own financial consultant business, almost certainly the only woman in 1870s London with such a position. One of her clients has lost her savings in the failure if a shipping company that went belly up under very mysterious circumstances. At the same time Sally's friend Jim helps a magician escape from the clutches of a couple of thugs trying to kill him. What seem like two very different cases slowly intertwine, revealing a diabolical plot with global implications. The author manages to mix in spiritualism, early photography, politics, and armaments, not to mention love, death, and aristocrats facing bankruptcy. While the book is intended for young adults, it's a very mature book. I found the brutality of the villain shocking and Pullman doesn't shrink from putting the violence on the page. This will be a hard one to top. "

Emily | 2/10/2014

" i can't remember if it was this book or the one after it, but this was when i realized (far before i read the amber spyglass, which pretty much destroyed me) that philip pullman can and will kill off characters you love for the sake of the story. god, i admire and fear authors that can do that. "

Jeremy | 2/10/2014

" A surprisingly decent read - very similar to Caleb Carr's books in that it's a well-paced historical mystery/adventure. Carr throws in more historical detail, but Pullman relates well the sense of struggle faced by a single intelligent woman who owns her own investment firm in 19th century London. "

Kim Annabella | 2/6/2014

" randomly picked it up, and after 50 pages put it down again. I liked his dark materials, not this. "

Joe | 2/4/2014

" Another gripping story of Victorian financial adviser and reluctant adventuress Sally Lockhart. It's a darker tale than "The Ruby In the Smoke," with bigger consequences for all involved. Pullman succeeds brilliantly in his desire to write a book that his heroine would want to read. "

Sara | 2/4/2014

" Comprato sulla scia del primo... delusione "

Flower | 12/19/2013

" Nothing compared to his dark material. I was a little disappointed with the ending, it was a bit predictable. "

Amy | 10/29/2013

" Young Reader's book. Sally Lockhart mystery series. "

Denise | 8/19/2013

" Enjoyable read. Not anything like the Golden Compass trilogy .. but still fun to read. "

Wendy | 6/25/2013

" I've been listening to this trilogy in the car. What a brilliant writer Philip Pullman is! These are wonderful mystery stories centered around the character Sally Lockhart, an independent young woman living in London in the late 1800's. "

Hanna | 5/22/2013

" I don't know why but I couldn't really get into this book. Maybe I'm just not a mystery person. Don't let this review stop you from reading it and making your own opinion though. "

Jan | 7/6/2012

" I enjoyed this second book in the Sally Lockhart series. A mystery story with many twists and turns. Phillip Pullman's characters are distinctive and enjoyable. I will complete the series eventually but do not feel compelled to jump into the next book. "

Rachel (Sfogs) | 11/14/2011

" It was really good...until some people died...then it was sad. "

Laura | 11/1/2011

" I loved this book as a middle school student. The central female character is ass kicking! "

Yellowinkling | 6/8/2011

" Fantastic! I liked this one better than Ruby in the Smoke. Pullman is the master of twisty plots, character development, and voice (so witty and charming)! This book made me (sincerely, for REAL) laugh and cry out loud. Can't wait to get my hands on the next one. "

Alice | 4/20/2011

" Much worse than the first part. "

Jenni | 3/24/2011

" A quick and entertaining read, which turned out to be unnecessarily dark at some point without moving but rather irritating me.
"

Lisbeth | 3/17/2011

" Yikes! Violence surrounds Sally Lockhart.
"

Terry | 1/2/2011

" This trilogy is one of the most detailed historical novels I have ever read. And yet, Pullman is skilled enough to avoid making the historical accuracies seem cumbersome to the modern reader.
"

Coren | 12/11/2010

" More Victorian drama featuring a marvellous cast of characters.
"

Hilary | 11/24/2010

" Egad. Could this be more depressing?
"

Brett | 11/17/2010

" Just as atmospheric as "the Ruby in the Smoke" & even darker, yet a very absorbing read & ends with a ray of hope. Sally Lockhart is very inspiring in her refusal to let the mores of her time stop her from living her life the way she wants to.
"

Bcoghill | 11/6/2010

" What a fun adventure. The more I read Pullman the more I like his stories.
"

Denise | 10/24/2010

" Enjoyable read. Not anything like the Golden Compass trilogy .. but still fun to read.
"

Bethany | 10/12/2010

" This is a really great series! Sally Lockhart is a terrific heroine!
"

Other Titles by Philip Pullman:

About the Author

Philip Pullman is the Whitbread Award–winning author of the bestselling His Dark Materials series—The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass—as well as the Sally Lockhart trio of Victorian mysteries and other books for young readers. Among his other awards, he has won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in honor of the body of his work.

About the Narrator

Anton Lesser has, as an associate artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company, played many of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles, including Troilus (Troilus and Cressida), Edgar (King Lear), Petruchio, Romeo, and Richard III. He is a frequent radio contributor and has recorded many audiobooks, including much of the work of Charles Dickens. Lesser’s narration has won him seven AudioFile Earphones Awards.

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